


Pandora's Wedding

by ManaIza



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Centaur!Hakuba, Fluff, Fox boy!Kaito, Harpy!Aoko, M/M, Marriage, Romance, Witch!Akako, nothing but fluff, this is the happiest thing I've ever written, wait that's canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 18:54:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18971047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManaIza/pseuds/ManaIza
Summary: "These rings represent the beginning of an era, an unbreakable union between the humans of Beika and the magical creatures of Ekoda."Or, Kaito feels better about getting married to the prince of a neighbouring kingdom and Shinichi isn't entirely sure whether he should be excited or scared.





	Pandora's Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my submission for the Kaishin reverse bang of 2019! This was a journey and a learning experience in so many ways, mainly because this is both the longest fic I have ever written and the _only_ fic I have ever finished. ~~let's hope it's not the last~~
> 
> First things first, I want to give a huge shoutout to my partner [15560931](https://15560931.tumblr.com) for giving me the opportunity to work on their prompt and for drawing such wonderful art? Hello? Please please go [check it out](https://15560931.tumblr.com/post/185148915462/illustrations-that-ive-been-working-on-for-the) and give them all the love because they so deserve it.
> 
> Second, a big giant thanks to my girlfriend for her endless support and giving me a shoulder to cry on because writing is hard.
> 
> And lastly, thank you so much to mac, the mod of this event, for making everything possible.
> 
> Although we are the first to post, we certainly won't be the last so please look forward to everybody else's submissions!

“Aoko, I’m getting married.”

There’s a gasp as she nearly trips over herself, blue wings throwing themselves out to help catch and keep her balance. She whirls on the voice – a frustrated Kaito that snickers at her reaction. “What?!”

“Oh, so _that_ gets your attention. About time.” He adjusts from crouching to properly sitting on the nearby windowsill, brown tail curling to rest on top of the stone. “Lucky for you. Now I don’t have to grab a handful of mud.”

The broom in her hands groans under the force of her grip before it relaxes. “Oh, so you’re just being annoying then? Jeez. Don’t go around saying things like that, idiot.” She turns away to continue her job before she was so rudely interrupted by a prince that didn’t know how to _not_ get on her nerves. Somebody had broken a clay pot a few minutes earlier and she was the one left to clean it up. “There are some people who would’ve taken you seriously, you know. Can’t you see that I’m busy here? What do you want?”

Silence, save for the soft sound of the broom on stone.

“ _Kaito_.” Exasperated, she turns around only to see the prince pointedly looking away and inspecting the handiwork of the castle. “Are you even listening to me?” All Aoko gets is a mumble in response; she purses her lips together. “Really Kaito, what’s gotten into you? You’re acting weird.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.” She stops sweeping to walk over and get a closer look at Kaito. Her talons clicking on the floor prompting him to turn before he groans and throws his head back.

“I already told you, I’m getting married!”

“Come on, tell me the truth.” When he doesn’t respond again and keeps his gaze fixed above them, she blinks. Oh. _Oh_. “...You’re serious?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” Aoko simply watches him for a moment as she tries to fish for words. “Since when?”

“Since today.” He thinks back to the disaster of a training session earlier and scrunches his nose. Hakuba could’ve been a _little_ kinder with his swordplay; even if they were wooden swords, he was still going to have a bruise or two later. When they showed up he was _definitely_ going to tell him ‘ _I told you so’_. Thank the Spirits of Spring and Winter that his mom had saved him from further abuse.

“To whom?”

“Some prince named Shinichi Kudo.”

“What? _Prince_ _Kudo_? Do you mean the royal family from Beika? _That_ Kudo?” Kaito nods and Aoko finds herself equal parts astonished, worried, and curious. “But why?”

A shrug. “The Beika Royal Family are looking for peace or something, and they met with my mom to discuss options. I guess marriage was what they ended up with.”

Aoko leans on her broom and chews on the inside of her cheek. “This is all so sudden though... Are you sure you’re alright with it, Kaito? When is the wedding? You _better_ be taking me with you. Have you even _met_ the guy?”

“Maa, stop asking so many questions,” he whines. “The wedding is taking place at the next full moon, yes I’m fine with it, no I haven’t met him yet, and you’re not coming because you’re an annoying _harpy_. Anything else?”

She bristles, her wings puffing up and her eyes narrow, “excuse me?”

“You heard me, _A-ho-ko_.” There’s a sparkle in his indigo eyes as he leans forward, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “What if you arrive and you scare them all with your ugly face, hmm? They could call off the wedding-”

With a flourish, he nimbly ducks under the broom thrust at him and leaps to the nearby table. The flower vase atop it wobbles but doesn’t fall. “-and your story will be told for years! Decades!” His laughter echoes down the hall as she swings her broom again but misses, cracking hard against the wall. It doesn’t break despite the force of the hit, instead shimmering at the point of impact. _Enchanted, huh?_

“Yeah? Just you wait until I get my claws on you, _Ba-kai-to!_ ” She leaps off the ground, her wings beating once to gain leverage as she dives at him. This time the broom only missed by a hair; Kaito’s ears go back and his tail puffs up as it does so.

“Woah, woah, woah! You don’t want to kill me before I get married, right?” He flips back once more and holds his hands up in surrender, the cockiness in his grin replaced with nervousness. Aoko merely glares at him, holding the broom up and jabbing its bristles in his direction.

“You don’t deserve to get married if you’re going to have this kind of attitude.” She thrusts it once more and Kaito backs onto the windowsill behind him.

“Alright, fine! You can come, but only under one condition.”

“And that is…?” The fox-like grin that spreads across his face already has Aoko regretting asking.

“You have to wear a sack over your head,” and the world goes dark as Kaito covers her head with something in one smooth motion. “Oooooh, it’s perfect! You should wear it more often-”

He’s cut off with a yelp as she swings and hits her target square in the chest. Aoko rips the fabric off with a huff, looking down at it and grimacing. A crude and ridiculously drawn face stares back from the burlap; definitely a potato sack he stole from the kitchen at some point. She looks back up to where Kaito was and he’s nowhere in sight, the window wide open.

“That little...”

“What seems to be happening here, Lady Aoko?” Turning to the new voice, she can’t help sighing. A centaur with well-kept blond hair and a golden pelt strolls down the hallway in her direction. No bow on his back or sword on his hip, both undoubtedly left behind in the barracks. His white tunic is immaculate and clean like always.

“Where have you been, my Lord?” Although irritation seeps into her voice, her face cries relief.

“Looking for His Highness. He was called away by Her Majesty during our training earlier and never returned, however...” Hakuba’s eyes give her a once-over before looking to the window. “Judging from your mood, it seems like you found him.”

She follows his gaze as well, walking forward and looking down. There was Kaito, gripping onto the stone so he didn’t fall into the shrubbery below. “ _Shhh. Don’t tell him I’m here._ ” She responds with an eye roll and debates on whether to pull him up and make him face his bodyguard or let him wait it out and scold him afterward. A small bell goes off in her head; her blue eyes twinkle and she pulls away from the window, ignoring Kaito’s sudden look of fear.

“His Highness told me something interesting earlier,” Aoko begins, voice light and teasing. “Did you know he’s being wed?”  
  
Hakuba, caught off guard, merely blinks in response.

“Mmhm. I thought he was joking at first, but he was serious. And do you know who to?” Aoko leans away from the window and towards Hakuba with a smile. “Duchess Koizumi.”

“ _I am not_ ,” he yells indignantly from outside. Kaito peeks inside with a huff as he hefts himself up. “She’s a liar and a fraud, Hakuba. Don’t believe her!”

“It’s true,” Aoko turns away to walk back to the hardened clay on the floor to finish sweeping it up, depositing the potato sack onto the nearby table. “His Highness was all excited for it too, talking about how he can’t wait. _I_ think...he likes her.”

“Shut up, Ahoko!” Kaito turns to Hakuba with wide, pleading eyes, searching for a shred of compassion in the centaur’s confused face. “You don’t believe her, right? Right? I would never lie to you.”

“That-”

“Okay, sometimes I lie to you but not this time! I would never want to get married to her. That witch freaks me out. You gotta believe me. Please?” The longer Hakuba stares without answering the more uncomfortable Kaito gets and his ears flatten backwards, blending in with his mess of hair. He groans.

“I’m _not_ getting married to Akako, I’m getting married to the prince from Beika, and I _would_ have told you next but _somebody_ -” Kaito shoots a glare at Aoko who, wings properly folded and relaxed for the first time in the conversation, looks rather smug “-had to ruin the surprise.” He climbs in the window proper and stands up straight, brushing the dust off of his black tunic.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Your Highness,” she replies with her nose turned up. Kaito scoffs and sticks his tongue out. She mimics him. Hakuba reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

“Lady Aoko, we would be taking our leave now. Your Highness, please come with me. I’d like to know everything Her Majesty has told you.”

“Fiiiine.” Kaito turns away from Aoko to step in line with his bodyguard, Hakuba gives her a slight bow that she returns.

“Have fun, Kaito.”

“I will,” he calls back. Once they’re down the hall and through a door to the main hall, Kaito turns to Hakuba with a grin. “So there’s something I want your help with.”

“If it involves causing trouble for the merchants again...”

“Uuuugh. I _said_ I was done with that.” He pouts. With arms folded behind his head, he spares a passing glance to a pair of Satyrs walking by. In their arms, an assortment of fabrics. “Look, if you don’t want to that’s fine by me, but I think you’ll be interested.”

Hakuba flicks his tail. “Tell me about this arrangement first, and then I’ll listen.”

“There’s not much to know. Mom arranged a marriage for me with the prince of Beika and it’s happening by the next full moon. Now,” Kaito beams up at Hakuba, “hear me out...”

* * *

“Eeh? No way!” A pair of gloved hands slam onto the table in excitement. The pile of parchment nearby almost scatters from the force of the hit only to be saved by another, different pair of hands.

“Oi, Ran, calm down...”

“That’s wonderful news, Shinichi!” Ran leans forward into his personal space with a smile, paying no mind to the stack he’s so desperately trying to keep from being knocked off. “When is it? To who? Do you know them? Oh, Sonoko is going to-”

“ _Shhh_ ,” Shinichi hisses. “Do you have to be so loud?”

“Oops, sorry...” She pulls back to a comfortable distance, giving both Shinichi and his very organized stack of papers some breathing room. “Aren’t you excited though?”

A strange expression crawls across his face that says _No_ ; if she didn’t know any better, she would almost take it as embarrassment. “Yes, but can you please keep it under wraps for now? Everybody in the castle is going to know about it by the end of the day. I want to enjoy _some_ peace and quiet before then.”

Ran nods. “I can do that.” Without the exuberance this time she leans forward to study her friend’s face, only to get a confused stare back.

“What?”

“So who’s the lucky person you’re marrying?”

“First off, it wasn’t my decision. Mom and Dad went ahead and arranged this for me without my input.” He sounds slightly sour about it, bottom lip jutting out. “They’re marrying me off to the prince of Ekoda.”

“Ekoda?” Ran blinks. “You mean the kingdom on the other side of the veil? With all of those magical creatures?”

“No, the other Ekoda.”

“Be nice,” she chides. “It’s just a little shocking, that’s all.”

“You’re not the one getting married,” Shinichi mumbles, bringing a frown to Ran’s face.

“No, I’m not, but you’re acting like you’re about to be exiled from the kingdom. Did they tell you why they’re-” bringing her hands up, she begins air-quoting “‘-marrying you off’?”

“Yeah.”

When he offers nothing further, Ran rolls her wrist to keep him talking. “And?”

“It’s part of a peace treaty. I guess signing something wasn’t enough for them.”

“Oh, quit it Shinichi.” She reaches out to pull on his ear and receives a handful of ‘ow’s and ‘hey’s. “Have you even _talked_ to your parents about how you feel? How can you expect them to make decisions if you don’t?”

“Well-”

“So you haven’t said anything. That’s what I thought.” Letting go, she straightens up. “I’ll go talk to them for you since you’re busy complaining.”

“Ah- hold on,” Shinichi calls, reaching out to grab her arm as she passes him. “Everything is already planned so it doesn’t matter what I think about-”

“Oh?” Ran pulls her arm out of his grasp without a problem, crossing them instead and staring him down as if to dare him to come closer. The air around them becomes tense. “Tell me what you really think about all of this then.”

“But-”

“No buts. Just _talk to me, Shinichi_.” Her desperation has him second-guessing what to say next.

“...I just wish they had talked to me before they made this decision. What am I supposed to think about getting married to someone I don’t even know?” Ran relaxes, dropping her arms and giving him a reassuring smile.

“Isn’t that half of the fun? I thought you enjoyed a good mystery.”

“Of course I do.” He looks almost offended. “This is different though.”

“How so?” Ran walks back to the table and sits in the chair that Shinichi had abandoned in his haste to stop her. “What do you know about him?”

It takes a moment before he realizes her game, resting his chin in his hand to think. “According to my parents, his mother is a shape-shifting fox.”

“And his dad?”

“A human, but they didn’t mention him at the meeting. Either he didn’t come, or something must have happened to him.” Soon he begins to pace back and forth, eyes darting to and fro about the room. Eventually, they land on the bookshelf resting against one wall, full of scrolls and thick leather-bound books. “It’s interesting though – there are tomes in the library that have records about how humans that stay in Ekoda for too long are physically affected by the magical veil there.”

Ran hums. “I’ve read those texts. What did they call them? Changelings, right?”

“No.” Shinichi shakes his head, “changelings are a faerie that has replaced a human child. Although there are plenty of theories about why the veil changes the human body, nobody has settled on one.”

“Oooh, I remember now.” She leans forward, resting her head in her hands. “Although speaking of which, I believe that there are rumors of a changeling running the bakery by the lakefront?”

“Really?” Shinichi looks back to her.

Seeing that he looks sufficiently surprised, Ran nods. “Yes, they say the owner hasn’t aged since opening the shop, and some believe they use magic to make their desserts taste so good.”

“That’s it?”

“Apparently they also have pointed ears too.”

A knock interrupts them both and they turn to the door. A voice calls from the other side, “pardon my intrusion, Your Highness. I have a message for you from Their Majesties.”

Shinichi glances at Ran, silently pleading before taking a deep breath. “Come in.” Gingerly opening the door, in walks a rather petite maid with short blonde hair and an envelope in her hands. She bows.

“My apologies for my interruption, but Their Majesties insist that this was of most importance and for Your Highness to complete these instructions with haste.”

“Thank you, please put it on the desk,” Shinichi replies, motioning to where Ran is sitting. The maid nods and follows his direction. As she walks out and closes the door behind her, Shinichi waits until he can’t hear her footsteps anymore before a sigh escapes him.

“Do you think it’s...” Ran tentatively asks, picking up the envelope to inspect it. “It looks official.”

Shinichi runs a hand through his hair. “They’re always like that,” he replies.

Ran hands it over to his open hand and he promptly opens it to fish out the letter. “We won’t know until we read it.” It’s not long after he opens the letter that the corners of his mouth turn downwards, he closes it and holds it back out to Ran.

“Is it that bad?” She opens the letter regardless, blue eyes scanning the parchment before a smile spreads across her face. “You almost had me worried, Shinichi.” He pouts in response. “It’s not that bad. It’ll be fun.”

“Fun?” Shinichi hardly looks convinced. “Doing errands for my parents isn’t fun.”

“Oh, come on.” Ran folds the letter and places it into her pocket. “You heard Mizuki. Your parents said it was urgent.”

“It’s not.”

“It even says so in the letter.”

“They’re abusing their power.”

“ _Shi-ni-chi_.”

“ _Wha-a-at_?”

“Stop being immature. We’re going and that’s that. Plus, it’ll stop you from moping about this marriage.”

“I-I am not _moping_.”

“Not anymore you aren’t.” She stands up and grabs Shinichi by the shoulders, turning him around and pushing him towards the door.

“Ah-Wait! Ran! Ran! Stop it, Ran! That’s an order!”

“Sorry Shinichi, but Their Majesties’ orders come before yours!”

* * *

 

Traveling with Hakuba is a treat, and not one Kaito is allowed to indulge in often. Sure, they were frequently together, for better or worse depending on the day. But the times Kaito got to experience the wind rushing through his hair were few and far in between. According to his mom, the journey to Beika on horseback would have taken a little over half of the day. With Hakuba? That time was cut in half and then some. It had something to do with the centaur bloodline, but whether it was only the centaurs that served the Royal Family or their species as a whole Kaito didn’t know. He didn’t particularly care either.

As the trees rush by the world takes on a dreamlike quality, and soon the wind is nothing more than a distant memory as the forest before them parts and bends to their will. His thoughts briefly wander to his first experience with traveling, having ended in disaster when he attempted to get off mid-gallop due to an argument and being flung face first into a tree. Even thinking about that now has him shuddering.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yeah. Just keep moving.” He doesn’t even need to see his bodyguard’s face to know he had rolled his eyes.

“So what is your plan when we arrive? I refuse to be out of the kingdom past sundown.”

“We’re going to look for this Shinichi Kudo, obviously.”

“Beyond that, Your Highness. _Where_ are we looking for him?”

“The castle?” Kaito can’t believe the audacity of Hakuba. It was the most obvious place to look!

“So you have no plan.” Hakuba can’t believe the audacity of Kaito; sneak into Beika’s royal castle and search for the prince? _Really?_ If he could he would’ve laughed.

“What? Do you have a better idea then?” He glowers at the centaur, ears pressed back and tail swishing.

“We will walk along the perimeter of the castle wall, but that’s it.”

“Aw, but-”

“I will turn around if you argue with me about it.”

“Alright! Shutting up!”

As the trees rush by they give way to a field of grassy hills and the comfortable magic of Ekoda is left behind. The dirt path they travel slowly vanishes, no doubt due to disuse. Ever since the relationship between Beika and Ekoda was severed, commerce between the two kingdoms disappeared and the earth overtook what used to link the two. Hakuba keeps his eyes out for anything that could pose a threat to them both –human and animal alike– while Kaito marvels at how different the landscape is from his home. They have plains, but nothing like this; the majority of his kingdom was surrounded by thick forests and serene lakes, all blanketed by the veil of magic that gave the creatures born there their power.

“Are you paying attention?” A voice snaps at him, and he focuses on what’s in front of them only to see something fast approaching. What starts out as a grey blob quickly shapes itself into something ragged, and then into defined edges before he realizes what it is.

“Is that Beika?” At Hakuba’s nod, he smiles. Excitement wells up. It takes all of his willpower to keep from bouncing up and down like a child. The crispness of the world comes back, bringing the wind with it and soon they’re upon the castle and its town. While the latter rests on the hills rather comfortably, the former is built on a steep incline that has Hakuba looking up. Kaito jumps off of his mount, staring at the grass and dirt and then finally the wall. He whistles, “they sure aren’t making this easy for us.”

“No. I doubt we’ll be finding anybody walking around here.” Hakuba steps back, following the curve of the wall with his eyes. A gate rests down the hill a ways away, open to a dirt road and stationed with two guards in front of it; two more sit atop the wall. Turning around he spots a handful of houses with plots of farmland off of the path. Satisfied that there doesn’t seem to be any humans around, guards aside, he turns back just in time to see the prince take a running start in scaling the large mound of dirt. “Your Highness!”

“Relax! I won’t be long, I’ll be back down before you know it.”

“That’s _not_ the issue here,” Hakuba calls, trotting to stand underneath Kaito in the unlikely event he should fall. “You don’t have a glamour. If there are guards up there...”

The prince makes it to the stonework, taking a moment to judge how tall it is before resuming the climb. All the centaur can do is watch, simultaneously afraid for Kaito’s well-being and angry that all of his common sense seems to have vanished.

“For all intents and purposes we are in hostile territory,” Hakuba calls. “Should something happen to you, Her Majesty will be livid; and it would be on _my_ head.”

Kaito stops climbing at that. Hakuba continues, frustration plain as day in his voice. “The peace treaty is not official yet. You are putting everything in jeopardy-”

“Alright, alright! I get it!” Kaito calls. It takes him a moment to kick away from the wall, twisting in midair before hitting the ground rolling and straightening up with a flourish. “What do you suggest-” His words devolve into whining and rapid-fire ‘ow’s as Hakuba yanks his ear.

“I suggest not doing something stupid like that again.”

Kaito nods the best he can, apologizing profusely before Hakuba seems satisfied and lets him go. He receives a glare but pays it no mind. “As I said previously, you don’t have a natural glamour. Entering the capital would be easier otherwise.”

“Yeah, and you wouldn’t have had such a cow if I did,” Kaito grumbles in response, soothing his ear with gentle strokes. “It’s not like I was going to get up _on_ the wall. I’m not stupid.”

“Let’s see if there’s an easier way in. Get on.” At the command, Kaito begrudgingly hoists himself up onto the centaur. They trot along the outside wall in the opposite direction of the (supposed) front gate, keeping an eye out for any other entrances. It doesn’t take long before one comes into view, opening onto a wharf. Ears flat against his head, Kaito frowns at the fishing boats sitting on the rather large lake. An almost equally large river branches off of the far end of it, curving and vanishing beyond another hill. For better or worse the wharf is rather empty save for a handful of figures loading crates onto a small ship. Hakuba spots one guard at the far end; they lazily watch the folks on the lake before pulling their helmet over their eyes.

“What do you think,” a whisper from his left asks.

“...It’s risky.” He glances back at a displeased Kaito, ears flat and tail coiled around himself. “You don’t seem too inclined to continue. We’ll head back then-”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Kaito snaps, sliding off and grabbing a bundle of fabric resting on Hakuba’s hindquarters. His bodyguard doesn’t say it but Kaito knows he’s thinking it: _Fish. Why does it have to be f-f-fish?_ The other gate would be significantly less littered with seafood, especially of the finny, flopping, ugly _slippery_ variety, but he has too much pride to turn away now. As long as they stay far away from him he will be _perfectly fine_.

Hakuba crosses his arms as the fabric unfurls, revealing a simple cloak that’s black on the outside and dark blue on the inside; the prince wastes no time in slipping it on and tying it closed with the silver cord in front.

“When did you bring that?”

“I told you that I was going to.” There’s a yawn and a stretch before Kaito pulls the hood over his head. Hakuba watches his form waver, but before he can open his mouth it’s interrupted by a heavy sigh. “I know, I know. It only lasts for a short period of time. I get it. It’ll be enough to get me to the castle and back.” There’s no need to say anything further as Kaito breaks into a brisk walk.

Keeping close to the wall, walking down the hill and onto the docks below, Kaito doesn’t bother to check if his bodyguard is following. Hakuba will catch up; he always does. A couple of men walk by as he turns into the gate, waving to the currently occupied group to grab their attention. No recognition, no acknowledgment, no nothing. The street stretches out in front of him, busy but not overly so. Humans of all different shapes and sizes walk up and down the road, entering businesses and residences and casually talking amongst one another. Three children, two boys and a girl, dash past him screaming about something.

“Guys, wait up!”

“Sorry, Genta! We have to hurry or we won’t make it!”

None pay attention to the cloaked figure. A toothy grin breaks out under the hood with a laugh following shortly after. _This will be a piece of cake!_

* * *

 

“So, what do you think he looks like?” Ran begins, trying to cut the tension between them in half. So far their errands have been silent, save for the times they’ve had to interact with the various shopkeepers and vendors. Shinichi, having been forcibly pulled from the castle with his protests ignored, was busy giving her the silent treatment much to her dismay. He keeps his eyes on the road ahead. At the lack of response, her forced smile drops and she frowns.

“Hmm...” She taps a finger against her chin, thinking. If Shinichi wasn’t going to indulge her, then she was just going to have to make her own theories. “If his mom is a shape-shifting fox, and his dad was a human, then he should look kind of like us, right? Oh! What if he has a tail?”

Shinichi is far too interested in the clouds above.

“I bet he’s cute though, right? He has to be cute.” Nothing. “Or what if he’s _reeeeaaaally_ scary, with sharp teeth and claws.” Zip. “But if his dad was a human, then he might’ve changed into something else by the veil by now. What if-” Ran leans close to Shinichi, earning her a glance for her troubles “-he’s a _mermaid_.”

“He’s not a mermaid, Ran.”

“You don’t know that,” she counters. “He could totally be a mermaid. Like, a fox-mermaid hybrid.”

“Stop being ridiculous.” Shinichi nudges her with his elbow, jostling the messenger bag at her side. “I’m not getting married to a fox-mermaid hybrid.”

“Well, _you’re_ not contributing anything to this discussion, Prince-know-it-all.”

“He most likely has some human characteristics, but there’s no point in theorizing. If his mother can shape-shift, then he might be able to as well.”

“Then he could _totally_ be a fox-mermaid.” The scent of fish hits their nose as they turn onto another street, branching off of the main road that ran all down the capital. At the end of the street, a gate that opens up to a series of piers. Beyond that is a body of water that stretches far beyond the edge of their vision. Ran pulls out the letter from her pocket, taking a second to refresh herself on the rest of their errands. “Oh. We’re almost done. The Lakefront Bakery is our last stop.”

“Are you sure it’s here?”

“That’s what the letter says.” She passes off the letter to Shinichi for the Prince to confirms it for himself with a hum. “...Hey, Shinichi?”

“Yeah?”

Although Ran’s voice grows quieter, her eyes grow brighter with excitement. “Isn’t this the place we were talking about earlier? With the changeling?”

Shinichi thinks on it for a moment. “It might be. Running a bakery by the docks is a little weird, so I doubt there’s another one to get it confused with.”

She beams at his confirmation, straightening up to look for a sign. They pass the residences that make up the majority of the street, walk by a couple of unrelated shops, and by the time they hit the small fish market by the gate Ran realizes she saw nothing to indicate the bakery.

“Did you see anything,” she quietly asks, to which Shinichi shakes his head.

“I didn’t either,” he said as they turn to a nearby vendor; a short and stocky man that looks like he wants to be anywhere else than running his stand. Ran approaches with a smile. “Excuse me, sir.”

“Huh?” He glances over to the voice and gives her a once-over, his daydreaming ruined. “Whaddya want? Here to buy?”

“Not today, sorry. I was just-”

“Then buzz off. I don’t got time for ya.”

“-wondering if you knew where the Lakefront Bakery is.”

The man sighs heavily. Leaning forward, he points back from where they came with a pudgy finger. “’S back down there. Walk about fifteen paces an’ turn left. Little hole in the wall. You’ll know when ya see it. Wouldn’t bother with ‘er though.”

“Bother with who?”

“Th’ lady who runs it. There’s somethin’ not right with ‘er. Wait ‘till ‘er son’s workin’ to buy.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you very much.” With a small bow, she rushes back to Shinichi, grabbing his hand and pulling him in the direction of the bakery. He stumbles.

“Ah- Wait- Ran-”

“Come on! It’s this way.” Despite his protests, he follows; it’s not long until they find the aforementioned alley. A sign, brown and red, reading _The Lakeside Bakery_ hangs from a plain building snugly nestled into the grouping of houses that surround it. Ran lets go of Shinichi’s hand and walks forward, the door becoming visible almost immediately. Shinichi looks up towards the roof but there’s nothing aside from the sign that sets it apart from any of the other buildings. Immediately anyways; a small tower of white smoke begins to rise above them after a few more seconds of observation. He files that away for later use.

“I’m not surprised we missed it the first time...”

“It is kind of a strange spot for a store. Usually, you would want to draw customers.”

“Unless you’re hiding something.” They exchange a look before nodding. Ran grabs the door handle, bronze and simple, and turns it to open the bakery. A small bell chimes above to signal their entrance. Unlike the exterior, the interior is much more colorful with yellows and oranges to compliment the reds and browns. One-third of the room is dedicated to an open area with a bench, some chairs, and a table. A counter cuts through the room, separating the seating area from the actual workspace. In the back, a figure slides a couple of rolls of dough into a large stone oven.

“I’ll be with you folks in just a second,” they call, “take a seat while you wait.”

“Alright,” Ran responds, sitting down on the nearby bench. She pats the space next to her but Shinichi doesn’t seem all too interested, instead opting to walk to the counter and peer at the rest of the place. Flour dusts most of the surfaces, both tabletops and cabinet doors. The figure walks up to the counter and places an arm on it, smiling down with warm, brown eyes at an inquisitive Shinichi.

“So, what can I get you kids?” He sees how the flour hasn’t spared her, smearing all over her arms and cheeks and apron, and how her bunched up black hair exposes a set of ears with slight points to them. If he wasn’t looking at her up close like this he would have definitely missed it. Along with that, her physique shows that she throws bags of flour around for a living (he knows for certain that she could pick him up and throw him with ease., Although her face is youthful, there are smile lines that give him a chance to guess her age.

“Um, actually we’re here to pick up an order for Their Majesties,” Ran chimes in, standing up slowly.

“Oh, is that it? You’re the little errand boy and girl?” Her laugh is deep. She pinches Shinichi’s cheek, and when she turns away to fetch what Ran asked for, he grimaces. Ran can only give him an apologetic look. “I never thought Their Majesties would’ve sent His Highness and his bodyguard.”

She returns with a small sack and sets it on the counter. “No need to pay,” she says as Ran reaches into the bag at her side to get a handful of coins. “I’ve already gotten enough out of seeing you two.”

“Are you sure…?” Ran hesitates. “I wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t.”

“I’m sure, sweetie.” Her hand ruffles the top of Ran’s head leaving behind a big, white handprint. Shinichi keeps in his amusement as he reaches for the bag.

“I have a question,” he starts, and once her eyes are fixed back onto him he gives her a small smile. “Is it true you’re a changeling?”

“Shinichi-”

She laughs again, a belly laugh that catches the both of them off guard. “Do you know how many times I get folks coming in here because of that rumor? They want me to perform magic for them or start accusing me of witchcraft. I have to admit though, because of that I get many more customers than I would usually.”

Leaning forward, she looks between her guests and drops her voice. “It’s better if it’s a mystery, so let’s leave it at that. Besides-” she looks past the both of them and nods at the door “-I believe your day is about to get far more interesting than asking an old baker whether they’re human or not. Now go on.”

With no room to get a word in, Ran and Shinichi can only follow her direction and leave. Once the door closes behind them, Ran managing to squeak out a little _“Thank you”_ , Shinichi’s face drops and he ages at least five years.

“Well, that was...something,” Ran mutters. “The guy at the market said there was something up with her. Is it bad I was expecting something more...magical? And what was she talking about at the end? Our day is about to get far more interesting?”

“Let’s just go,” Shinichi mumbles. “That was our last errand. I want to get back to the castle.”

He adjusts the sack in his arms before walking down further into the alley, leaving the busy street behind them. Ran follows with a sigh, sticking close to him as they weave between the buildings. After a minute of silence, he speaks. “Her ears did have a point to them, but that’s not enough to label her as a faerie.”

“I saw that. It was hard to tell though... Almost like they weren’t really there.”

Shinichi sets the bag up on the small wall in front of him before climbing up onto it. He turns to look back from where they came; despite being able to see the sign of the bakery from this position, there was a significant lack of smoke billowing up from the chimney. “...I think there is something going on with her.” Ran hoists herself up without issue.

“Mmhm. She’s not normal, but she’s not bad either.” She frowns. “If the Royal guard knew then she could be imprisoned...or worse.”

“If people accuse her of witchcraft to her face then somebody has complained to the guard before. It’s a good sign that her business is still running though. They must have no proof.” Shinichi picks up the parcel.

“Yeah.”

“I’d like to know what she was for sure though. If she _is_ a changeling, then-”

He’s interrupted as something slams into him. Hard. Shinichi stumbles forward but his foot slips on the edge of the wall and was sent sprawling. Twisting in mid-air to save the parcel, he lands on his back. The wind is knocked from his lungs. Something heavy lands on top of him.

“Shinichi?!”

He can only groan in response, completely winded and dazed. Blinking he tries to wave to Ran but the world has gone black and he can’t seem to move his arms properly. Two indigo eyes pop out of the blackness, followed by a slightly agape mouth, and then a mop of messy black hair above all of that. He blinks once more and a pair of fuzzy ears materialize from inside the hair. _Wait. Fuzzy ears? And are those...fangs?_

“Oww… Damn it… He is going to _kill_ me...”

“Who are you talking about, Shinichi?”

The weight lifts off of his chest, indigo eyes rapidly searching him for...something. “Wait. Shinichi? _Shinichi Kudo_? Oh man...”

With that, the rest of the stranger seemingly comes into existence, crouching over the currently prone prince in a black cloak that almost seems to meld him with the shadows. Ran gasps. She wastes no time in jumping back down, pulling the figure away from Shinichi and roughly slamming him against the wall. His hands are promptly restrained as his cheek is pressed against the brick.

“Shinichi! Are you hurt?”

“H-Hold on, Ran,” Shinichi manages to choke out. Rolling over, he presses a hand against a nearby house to help him stand up. Slowly the breath returns to him and he nods.

“I- Ah- This is all just a big misunderstanding,” the stranger tries offering. Ran looks confused at Shinichi.

“A misunderstanding?”

The cloaked figure nods the best he can. At the movement Ran looks back at him, her brows furrowed.

“Who are you-”

The hiss of a sword being drawn catches all of their attention, and Ran finds the point aimed at her head. Slowly an arm comes into existence, followed by the torso of a man and the body of a horse. Both the hair on top of his head and the hair along his body is blond, and the clothing on the human half is a simple sleeveless white shirt with a woven leather belt and a leather shoulder piece. “If you value your life, you will unhand him immediately.”

Ran glares up at him. An immediate assessment shows that the newcomer knows how to wield a sword and wield it well, but the space they’re in is too enclosed to use the long weapon effectively. With his height he would have to jump down to do anything to her or Shinichi as well. If only she had brought her own weapon...

“Wait! Hold on, Hakuba-”

“Ran, let him go,” Shinichi commands once he’s able to properly speak, eyes fixated on the blade currently pointed at his bodyguard.

“But...”

“ _Please_ ,” he whispers. Ran hesitantly does so, releasing the stranger’s arms and stepping back towards Shinichi to put herself between them.

“ _Put your sword away_ ,” said stranger hisses up to the centaur who, in turn, gives him a cold stare. “ _I told you I’d find him!”_

“We will talk about this later,” the centaur replies, sliding the sword back into his sheath. “Come on.”

Shinichi takes a step forward. “Wait. You were looking for me?”

The stranger turns around, ears perked up. “I was.” With a flourish he bows, his hand barely missing the building to his left as it sweeps out. “Kaito Kuroba, Prince of Ekoda and all that. Enchanted to meet you~”

Both Shinichi and Ran look at each other, a little baffled. Ran speaks up first, “how did you get in here?”

“Ah-” Shinichi places his hand on her shoulder. “...We should talk elsewhere. This isn’t the safest place for conversation.”

Despite being in the alleyways the main street was just off to the right of them, and with the sun high in the sky, he knew the guards were going to start patrolling here in hopes to catch criminal activity. Were they to stumble on a couple of creatures from Ekoda...

The other prince nods. “How about we meet by the lakefront? There’s one ship docked, but it’s empty otherwise.”

“That’s a good idea. What do you think, Ran?”

Despite her uncertainty, she nods in agreement, and Shinichi gives the two strange arrivals a polite smile. The centaur up on the wall flicks his tail once before pressing a fist to his chest and bowing slightly.

“My deepest apologies, Your Highness. We will meet you there. I can assure you this will not happen again.”

Prince Kuroba climbs up the wall in one smooth movement, cloak billowing out behind him to give Shinichi a brief glance at a brown bushy tail with a white tip. “I look forward to our second meeting, Shinichi,” he calls with a grin from atop the centaur. Flipping the cloak’s hood up he vanishes not but a moment later, the centaur following suit. Silence descends on the remaining duo as the encounter sinks into their minds.

“...Hey, Shinichi, I’m not going crazy right? That just happened?”

The ache of his chest and lungs makes it impossible to deny. “You’re not going crazy, Ran. That just happened.”

Even though they don’t say it, they both had the same thought running through their heads: _the baker knew_.

* * *

 

“I thought you knew the limits of this gift, but it seems I was wrong. What were you thinking?” Hakuba demands once they’re outside of Beika’s walls. Whatever magic that was left in the cloak finally drains, leaving Kaito exposed in broad daylight. He doesn’t shy away from Hakuba’s harsh tone, but he doesn’t get off of him either. As long as he stays mounted on the centaur’s back his ears can’t be pulled.

“It was an accident! I was coming back from the castle when I turned a corner and ran into them. If you were following me you would know that.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that you were careless.” A hoof stomps into the dirt as he crosses his arms. “Her Majesty will know about this, and your cloak of glamour will be revoked until the next full moon.”

Kaito opens his mouth to protest but decides otherwise. Instead, “...You’re not going to tell Aoko about this, are you?” He can handle his mom’s suffocation and consistent worry. He can handle Hakuba chastising him and putting him on castle arrest. He can even handle Koizumi’s cryptic and incessant wisdom-but-not-really. But Aoko?

To say in the least, a broom isn’t the only thing she was good at using.

“No.” A sigh of relief. “Not now, at least.” Kaito tries to suck the sigh back in only to cough.

“I _was_ being careful,” he grumbles. Without its magic, there’s no reason to keep the cloak on so he unties the silver cord and slips it off. It’s not until he wraps it up and places it back on Hakuba’s hindquarters that he gets jostled. “What?”

“They’re here.” Kaito peers around Hakuba. Sure enough, two familiar figures stroll along the docks in their direction. He smiles, sliding off and taking the first steps forward to greet them. In the sunlight he can better see their clothing; much like the guards, they wear a similar color scheme composed of blues and golds. But unlike them, Shinichi wears a red sash that crosses along his chest from shoulder to hip. Ran, meanwhile, shares the same outfit right down to the medals on her breast and the (recently added) sword at her side. Hakuba takes note of how relaxed she looks compared to back in the alley. Relaxed enough that she lets Shinichi step forward.

“Now that we’re away from everybody,” Shinichi begins, taking one last look over his shoulder. The docks are completely empty save for the guard stationed at the other end of the boardwalk who looks rather comfortable with their helmet over their face. “Let’s start with proper introductions.”

“Of course,” Hakuba takes a bow, kneeling down on one knee and lowering his head. “Saguru Hakuba, bodyguard and servant to the prince of Ekoda. It’s a pleasure to meet you...”

Ran blinks as the centaur nods in her direction, following suit with a half-bow of her own. “Ran Mouri, daughter of Kogoro Mouri and Eri Kisaki, bodyguard and servant to the prince of Beika. It’s a pleasure to meet you two.”

Shinichi bows in the same manner Ran does. “Shinichi Kudo, Prince of Beika. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Kuroba.” He looks up to see Kaito bowing once more, one of his ears twitching.

“The pleasure is all mine, Shinichi,” he responds smoothly.

“...What are you two doing here?” Ran asks, straightening up. Hakuba does so as well, watching the look of confusion cross her face. “The wedding isn’t this soon, is it?”

“She’s right,” Shinichi says. “It’s not until the full moon.”

“What? That’s so soon!”

“His Highness,” Hakuba speaks before Kaito has a chance to butt in, “wished to meet his fiance before the event. Please accept my deepest apologies for our rashness, Lady Mouri and Your Highness.”

“Ah, that’s alright,” Ran replies, giving them a polite smile. “It’s just- We don’t see your kind around here often, and we’re certainly not used to running into you.”

At that, Shinichi raises his hand to rub at the back of head absentmindedly. “Hardly ever,” he corrects.

Kaito sheepishly grins. “Sorry, sorry. I wasn’t expecting anybody to be there.”

“Neither were we.” Shinichi looks Kaito up and down properly for the first time. Without the cloak, he can see the tail lazily swishing from side to side. As for clothes, they are drastically different than his own: a dark grey sleeveless tunic with white and gold hemming at the bottom, matching arm sleeves, and stockings that don’t cover his heel or his toes. On closer inspection Shinichi sees that his legs aren’t entirely human, instead mimicking the form of a cat’s back paws.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how _did_ you get past the guards?” Ran looks between Kaito and Hakuba, eyes seeking for answers.

“Most of us have the ability to turn invisible to the naked eye,” Hakuba offers. “For those that can’t, we have seamstresses that create clothing to help.”

“Ooh. I get it now...”

Kaito, pointedly ignoring the conversation about him, takes a step forward. Indigo eyes brim with curiosity and look the other prince up and down. Now that neither of them are panicking or in pain, he wants to take in what he can while he’s here. Blue eyes stare back at him, almost equally curious. The absence of a magical aura around him show that he is indeed as human as they come; no animal characteristics make themselves known either, and he takes another step forward until he’s in Shinichi’s space. Closing his eyes and inhaling, Kaito thinks.

“So you like reading?”

“Ah- uh, a little?” Shinichi blinks, not quite sure how to handle the intrusion. It’s not every day somebody comes up and decides to sniff him. The other prince inhales again before grinning and bouncing back.

“I can smell the leather and paper on your skin, that’s why. You _reek_ of it. Candle smoke too.”

“ _Your Highness_ ,” Hakuba hisses in warning, pausing his rather pleasant conversation with Ran.

“What?”

Ran leans over to give Shinichi a quick sniff, to which she gets a rather unamused stare in return. “I don’t smell anything.”

“Oi, oi...”

“Sorry Shinichi,” she giggles. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“Do you smell everyone you meet…?”

“No way. Some of the creatures really stink so I don’t need to,” Kaito replies. Memories of trying to smell a group of mischievous fairies come to mind, and his face scrunches up. Leaning away from Shinichi he turns towards Ran and gives a couple of quick sniffs.

When he says nothing at Ran’s expectant gaze, she motions towards him. “What do I smell like?”

“Mmm...” Kaito mulls over the scents, ears twitching. “Flour. Sweat. And flowers. Are those lilacs?” He sniffs her once more for confirmation but she pushes his face away.

“I-I do _not_ smell like sweat!” Shinichi closes his eyes and leans over to smell as well, ignoring her red face and puffed cheeks. “Hey!”

“Sorry Ran,” he mimics. “I couldn’t help myself- ow!”

His hand clamps over his arm as her hand withdraws. “You don’t have to pinch me.” She only huffs in response and turns away, finding sudden interest in a distant ship. Hakuba watches the display with vague amusement, only to get a curious glance from Kaito. He offers no answers, instead clearing his throat.

“Now that you’ve gotten what you want, we should be leaving. It will be sundown by the time we return to Ekoda, and there are still preparations to be had.”

“Aw... Can’t we stay for a little longer?” Kaito moves a little closer to Shinichi, and it takes a moment as Hakuba realizes how similar they are in appearance. “Please?” Ignoring the dark, fuzzy ears atop Kaito’s head and the fluffy brown tail behind him, the only major differences between them are eye color and hairstyle. Ran seems to notice this too, looking between the both of them and then at the centaur. He gives her a nod of acknowledgment that she returns, smiling.

“You will have plenty of time to see him during the wedding,” he insists. Kaito groans but caves, walking back towards his bodyguard.

“We have our own business to tend to anyway, isn’t that right Shinichi?” Ran offers, covertly jabbing her prince in the side and earning a jolt back to reality.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Right.” Shinichi watches as Kaito hoists himself onto the centaur, grumbling all the while. “It was nice to meet you both. Prince Kuroba. Lord Hakuba.” He offers a nod to both of them and gets one in return.

“We’re getting married so you can drop the formalities,” the other prince replies once he’s settled. “Just call me Kaito.”

“...We’re not married yet though.” To his right, he hears Ran sigh. “What? We aren’t.”

“Then call me Kaito next time we meet. Until then, Shinichi. Ran.”

As they turn away and begin the trek around Beika to head home, Kaito finds himself oddly light. Anticipation fills his very being. Tonight the moon was not full, but in a few nights it would be, and he can’t help but think about the upcoming wedding and the prince that smells of books and candle smoke.

* * *

Kaito has a hard time sitting still. In fact, it’s one of the toughest tasks he has to face. It doesn’t matter that he’s comfortable on a cushion, and it doesn’t matter that he’s in his bedroom. What matters is that he’s been forced to sit still since the sun hit its peak; the sun is now a little under three-fourths of the way across the sky.

“Ow-”

“My apologies, Your Highness.” The maid at his bedside pauses her current task of weaving a rose into the fur on his tail, “it’s a little difficult to work when you keep moving.”

“I’m trying, Megumi,” Kaito whines. His tail shakes and the rose falls out, making her sigh. “How many more do you have to do?”

Megumi picks it up again and restarts the process of braiding the vine into his fur. “There are only a couple left. We have this rose for your tail, and then because there’s leftover stephanotis I’ll stick that into your hair.” All she gets is a groan in response, but he doesn’t complain. Once the rose is finished and she’s certain it won’t fall out she stands up, moving the wicker basket onto the bed.

“Kaito,” a familiar voice calls from his door. “You have a last minute visitor.”

“I’m busy, Aoko. Tell them to wait.” Kaito frowns. _Didn’t they get the memo? They should know I won’t be available until I’m done getting ready_.

“Your Highness, I insist on a meeting with you as soon as possible.” The prince blanches. That unmistakable, haughty tone assails his ears. _Oh, crap._

“Can’t you wait until the preparations are done? I still have-” the door swings open and the hooded figure walks in “-things to do...” _Or, you can just ignore me_.

Dressed in deep reds and purples, the muffled clacking of her heels still sound impossibly loud to Kaito despite the rug underfoot. Megumi pauses working to look at the new arrival. She smiles.

“Good afternoon, Duchess Koizumi. His Highness isn’t quite ready-”

“I won’t take long,” the enchantress gives the maid a sweet smile in return. “Could you step out for a moment?”

Kaito doesn’t have a chance to protest before Megumi pulls away and gives the intruder a bow. “My apologies, Your Grace. Call me in when you’re done then,” and she leaves, closing the door behind her. Akako’s gaze fixes on Kaito as soon as they’re alone, he can’t help but swallow nervously.

“...Nice weather we’re having?”

“When were you planning on telling me yourself?!” Her smile drops, hands clenched at her sides. “I had to learn about this wedding from an invitation, addressed to me from the King and Queen of Beika. When I went to Lady Aoko to ask if this was a joke she said it was true.”

She takes a step forward. “Who are you marrying?”

“Calm down, Akako,” Kaito tries. He crosses his legs. “Why are you asking me? If you talked to Aoko, she must’ve told you everything already.”

“Because I want to hear you say it.” Another step. “Why are you getting married?”

“It’s for a good reason-”

“I don’t care if it’s a good reason!” Her heel stomps into the floor, purple skirt rippling from the force of the motion. “You are getting married to a human, and you don’t even know him!” She leans forward to invade Kaito’s space. A gust of wind sweeps throughout the room and plunges it into darkness. Even then, Kaito can still see the faint details of her distressed face. His brows furrow.

“I do too! And even if I didn’t, it’s not like I had a choice!”

Akako’s lip quivers. The fire behind her eyes burns as she turns away in one quick motion; he can feel her cloak brush against his cheek from the movement.

“Be careful, Kaito Kuroba,” she coolly says. “Humans are fickle creatures. One day you may find everything taken from you.” Light floods the room once more as she opens the door, exiting as fast as she entered. He can hear Aoko call out after her as Megumi hesitantly re-enters the room, looking away from her retreating form and to him.

“...Are you alright, Your Highness?”

Kaito smiles, uncrossing his legs and grabbing at the edge of the bed. “Hey, can you sing that song you were humming earlier?”

“Eh?” A blush crosses her face. “Y-You heard that?”

“Aha, sorry. It was just so pretty that I couldn’t help but listen.”

She contemplates, but ultimately gives in and smiles. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt...”

By the time the rest of the flowers are properly set and Megumi is content that her hard work won’t go to waste, Kaito can see the courtyard finishing their own preparations.

“Your Highness,” another maid calls from the hallway, “Her Majesty requests your presence at the front gate.”

“Alright!” He opens the window with a grin. A breeze floats into the room. “Thank you, Megumi. I’ll see you at Beika!” Without waiting for a response he climbs onto the windowsill and then jumps. She rushes to the window, fearing for both the safety of the prince and the flowers. Her concerns are washed away when she sees him smoothly land on the wall below with none of the flowers falling out or becoming displaced.

“Take care, Your Highness!”

Kaito waves at her before breaking into a run down the wall’s pathway and to the nearest ladder. Two cats, one ash-colored and a calico, wait for him at the bottom of it.

“We bring news from the Duchy of Sabrina,” the ash-colored cat says once Kaito’s on the ground.

“Her Highness, Princess Anne wishes to congratulate you on your marriage,” the calico continues, “and looks forward to seeing you at the wedding.” Kaito beams, bending down to pet them both. The calico leans into his hand while the ash-colored one merely tolerates it.

“That’s great news! You two are coming along, right?” They nod. “Then I’ll see you both there. Don’t get in trouble.” He stands up and makes his way to the courtyard, opting for walking rather than running.

It’s not long until he reaches it, and Hakuba is the first to notice him with a nod. Forgoing the leather shoulder piece, he looks surprisingly nice in the white arm sleeves and embroidered shoulderless tunic, and Kaito feels joy at the fact that he wasn’t spared from the flower treatment either; the blankets resting on his back are _surrounded_ in a variety of flowers.

“Are you prepared for this?”

Kaito thinks the question is stupid. “Of course. Hey, Akako wasn’t down here by chance was she?”

“She just left,” Aoko chimes in. He looks over to her, taking in the puffy white sleeves and slim dress that stops just above the knees. Her wings, as blue as ever, are folded neatly behind her. Unlike Hakuba, the only flowers she has is a white rose tucked into her hair. “What did you say to her, Kaito?”

“ _I_ didn’t say anything!” His ears flatten, “she’s just upset that I’m getting married to somebody else.” Aoko gives him a sad smile but he’s unable to say anything else as a voice calls to him from across the courtyard.

“Kaito~! Come over here!”

With a dramatic sigh, he turns around to see his mom waving him over. She wears a similar outfit to his own: white sleeves, white stockings, and a tunic that goes past her knees complete with golden embroidery at the hem. Much like himself, she has flowers weaved into her hair and tail although it’s not quite as many.

“You look adorable,” she coos, pinching his cheeks. “Who was it that did your flowers again?”

“Megumi.” It’s muffled.

“She did a good job. I especially love the daisies by your ears.” Chikage pulls her hands away only to gently reach out and brush a lock of hair away from his eyes. Her bottom lip quivers.

“What’s wrong?"

She shakes her head. “Nothing. My little Kaito is growing up so fast!” He can’t react fast enough to dodge her hug. “I can hardly believe it! Did I ever tell you about my wedding?”

_Oh great, here we go again._

“It was during Samhain...”

* * *

Shinichi watches from the castle gate as the sun dips below the horizon. There was only one word to describe the past few days: hectic. With the short notice and having only a few days proper to set everything up there had been no rest for anybody that lived and worked in the castle, Shinichi included. Most of his work was relegated to learning about the wedding, how it would work, and what was expected of him. Unfortunately, that lead to him being stuck inside of the castle and out of everybody else’s way.

A ball of light zipped by him, almost too fast to see. Two more followed. Laughter rang in his ears. The guard nearby, middle-aged and portly, laughed awkwardly. “These faeries are quite the little troublemakers.”

Being under castle arrest meant that he had missed the arrival of various creatures. According to his father, they had been sent under orders from Her Majesty, Queen Kuroba to help out with the preparations around the town. If the rumors around the castle were anything to believe, they had caused chaos when they first arrived. Unintentionally of course, but Beika wasn’t used to having anything _other_ than humans at its gates.

The street that stretches down the hill and through the capital was alight with activity from both humans and not, working in tandem to finish putting up the decorations. Paper lanterns of various shapes and colors stretch from house to house; wooden poles are decorated with thick, bushy garland that has various ornaments and ribbons tied onto them; colorful stalls have small flags on them to represent both Beika and Ekoda; painted strips of stone lay along the road to create fanciful designs; the fountain that bubbled in the plaza has water that changes color. Of all the things he has seen today, that has to be the most interesting.

At least until Prince Kuroba arrives.

A hand gently touches his shoulder but he doesn’t bother checking who it belongs to. He knows it’s Ran. “We should finish getting prepared, Shinichi.” When there’s no response she frowns. “...Shinichi?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you alright?”

“Why?”

“You’re spacing out.” She’s silent for a minute to think. “Are you excited?”

The corners of his mouth quirk up. “A little. Are you?”

“Mmhm.” Ran lets go and stands next to him, observing the festival being set up. “Did you hear that we’re going to have fireworks at midnight?”

“Professor Agasa suggested it, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, but he’s under supervision because of last time.” Shinichi thinks back, remembering when the man had performed an experiment he had claimed would work, but it had gone awry and nearly killed one of the castle alchemists in the process. Coincidentally it had also involved gunpowder.

Ran laughs at his face. “Don’t be like that. I’m sure it’s better this time around.”

“Let’s hope so, for everyone’s sake.”

A spark in the distance catches their attention. Shouting follows as guards walk up the street, calling to the people still setting up. They rush out of the street; some flee into the nearby buildings, others stand next to the walls and turn their attention past the fountain and in the direction of the spark.

“...Is that them?” Ran asks, but Shinichi pays no attention to her. Despite the setting sun and the stretching shadows, the street becomes illuminated by dozens of floating lights. A bell sounds somewhere in the distance. It’s not their own. No, the bell sounds lighter, as if gold coins were being dropped onto the stone below.

All of the invited guests had already arrived. There could only be one explanation.

“We welcome the royal family of Ekoda!” A deep voice announces, “they have come for one reason and one reason only! That reason is peace!”

“Oh, it is them! Shinichi!” His eyes scan the lights as they move, shapes now becoming recognizable. He sees two centaurs at the front with two human-shaped figures on their back. He takes a step forward, but another hand lands on his shoulder.

“Your Highness, it’s time to go inside to wait.” The guard from before says. Shinichi doesn’t want to. He wants to stay out here and watch them arrive, and for a moment he considers if he can get away with commanding the guard to let him stay.

“He’s right, Shinichi,” Ran chimes in. She grabs his hand and when he looks back at her, she smiles. “You don’t want to ruin the surprise, do you?”

He knows she’s right. Begrudgingly Shinichi turns away, allowing himself to be led into the castle and to the room where he’s supposed to be waiting. He sits down on a rather elegant-looking chair and sighs. Ran softly closes the door behind them.

“You won’t have to wait long,” she says as she stands in front of the door. “If it makes you feel any better, I bet he’s really pretty.”

All Shinichi does is place his head in his hands. Ran giggles, “Oh, come on. You’ll be out there and married to him before you know it.” Neither of them speaks for what seems to far too long, and the silence drags on further still before a call cuts it clean through. His name rings throughout the halls, and he takes a deep breath before standing up. Ran opens the door for him.

“ _You look great_ ,” she whispers, and they walk into the ballroom.

Shinichi keeps his gaze straight ahead as they enter. At the altar, an older man draped in white robes with golden embroidery stands waiting. Ran follows behind, back straight and eyes forward. She takes the left of the aisle while Shinichi walks down the middle. The room is silent as they walk. Once they reach the altar, Shinichi in front of the podium and Ran standing off to the side, the man begins speaking.

“And now, we welcome the Prince of Ekoda, Kaito Kuroba.”

Shinichi turns away from the officiator and to the open doors. A white carpet stretches from him to the entrance, lined with tables of all sorts of inhabitants. He can pick out the ones he personally knows with ease: Prince Hattori and his bodyguard, Lady Kazuha, Duchess Sonoko Suzuki and her family, Ran’s parents, and Professor Hiroshi Agasa, all sitting in the tables to his right. Heiji gives him a thumbs up and a big grin. On his left he can pick out Kaito’s bodyguard, Hakuba, standing in a similar spot Ran is. The rest are entirely unfamiliar and filled with all sorts of creatures. Faeries cast a soft multicolored glow over one table. Another table is filled with small, human-like cats; undoubtedly from Duchy of Sabrina.

In walks a figure bathed in white: a shoulderless tunic that extends to his knees, stockings that end at his thigh and leave his toes and heel uncovered, silk sleeves that end on his upper arm, a woven belt that rests on his hips, and a large cape that is held up by three separate maids. What isn’t white are the various flowers that stick out of his hair, and the glimpses of blue that stick out on his tail. The breath escapes Shinichi as Kaito walks down the aisle with his chin up. Once he reaches the altar the maids drop the cape, all three backing away to sit at the nearest table. Kaito turns to face him, his face carefully neutral. Shinichi’s face is neutral as well, but he feels like the butterflies in his stomach are going to make him dance at any moment.

“Alone, these two are simply princes from different kingdoms. Shinichi Kudo of Beika, and Kaito Kuroba of Ekoda. Side by side, they are a beacon of hope and a light that illuminates the path ahead for the both of us.

“Shinichi Kudo, Prince of Beika. Hold out your left hand.” Shinichi obeys. “Kaito Kuroba, Prince of Ekoda. Hold out your right hand.” Kaito obeys as well. “Clasp them together.” They do, Kaito’s bare hand fitting snugly against Shinichi’s gloved one.

“This handshake symbolizes the end of an era. An era of tension. An era of difficulties. An era of hostilities. For far too long it has endured, but no longer shall it reign. You may unclasp your hands.

“Ran Mouri, Royal Guard to the Prince of Beika, approach.” She walks up to the podium and receives a small purple cushion. Resting on top of it, a golden ring. “Saguru Hakuba, Royal Guard to the Prince of Ekoda, approach.” He walks up to the podium to receive a purple cushion as well. “These represent the beginning of an era, an unbreakable union between Beika and Ekoda.

“Shinichi Kudo. You represent the humans of Beika and will continue to do so. Present the ring to the Prince of Ekoda.” Shinichi takes the ring and kneels down before Kaito.

“Kaito,” he starts, looking up and seeing the barest hints of a smile, “I present this ring to you as a symbol of our union between human and magical creature. We will not be enemies or rivals, but friends and lovers. I vow to never leave your side until the final sun sets.” Kaito holds his hand out and Shinichi slips the ring on his finger. It’s a perfect fit.

“You may stand. Kaito Kuroba. You represent the magical creatures of Ekoda and will continue to do so. Present the ring to the Prince of Beika.” Kaito, carefully neutral expression gone and replaced with a soft smile, takes the ring and kneels before Shinichi.

“Shinichi,” he begins, voice smooth, “I present this ring to you as a symbol of our union between magical creature and human. We will not be enemies or rivals, but friends and lovers. I vow to never leave your side until the final sun sets.” Kaito pulls the glove off of the offered hand and slips the ring on his finger. Just like his own, it’s a perfect fit.

“You may stand.” He does. “Alone, you are simply Shinichi Kudo and Kaito Kuroba. Together, you are the new faces of Beika and Ekoda. Remember this day, and the era of prosperity and happiness you two have brought.” The man looks from Shinichi to Kaito before closing his book. “You may seal this union with a kiss.”

Shinichi stares at Kaito, and Kaito stares back. Neither of them seems certain until the corners of Shinichi’s mouth quirk up.

“Well?”

At that, Kaito leans forward.


End file.
